"Did you take the money from the masjid or the Waqf board?" BJP lawmaker Anurag Thakur in Lok Sabha on a Karnataka row

 "The Karnataka government collected Rs 4.50 crore, and you spent that money. You should have answered those. Did you take the money from the masjid or the Waqf board?" BJP lawmaker Anurag Thakur said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, April 2, during the debate on Waqf Bill.

He named a senior leader, which caused an uproar among opposition MPs. The name was later withdrawn. 

The former Union Minister further said - "Karnataka assembly's report has names of several Congress politicians who were involved in the scam. Is this why you (Congress) are opposing transparency and accountability?"

Thakur thanked several minority groups for supporting the bill. These included the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, Church of Bharat, Kerala Council of Churches, Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council, All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council, and Muslim Rashtriya Manch.

भाजपा सांसद निशिकांत दुबे ने वक्फ में गैर मुसलमानों को शामिल किए जाने पर कहा कि पैगंबर मोहम्मद साहब के सिद्धांत के खिलाफ जाकर हिंदुओं को कैसे रोका जा सकता है?

झारखंड के गोड्डा से भाजपा सांसद निशिकांत दुबे ने लोकसभा में वक्फ बिल पर अपनी बात शायराना अंदाज में की। 

उन्होंने कहा- 'लम्हों ने खता की है, सदियों ने सजा पाई है।' दुबे ने आगे कहा कि लोकसभा में इस बात पर सबसे ज्यादा हंगामा है कि हिंदू वक्फ बोर्ड में क्यों आए?

दुबे ने कहा, "पहला वक्फ पैंगंबर मोहम्मद साहब को जिसने दिया, वो यहूदी था उसका नाम मुखेरख था। उसने अपने सात बगीचे मोहम्मद साहब को तोहफे में दिए। ऊंट के मैदान में वो मारा गया, जब वो मारा गया तो मोहम्मद साहब ने उसकी संपत्ति जब्त करके पहला चैरिटेबल वक्फ बोर्ड शुरू किया। इमरान मसूद मैं यह बात ऑन रिकॉर्ड कह रहा हूं... यदि मुसलमानों ने पहला वक्फ नहीं दिया। तो मोहम्मद साहब के सिद्धांत के खिलाफ जाकर आप हिंदुओं को वक्फ में आने से कैसे रोक सकते हैं?" (as reported in media)

Nishikant Dubey actually said the first donor for Waqf created by Prophet himself was a Jewish.  

Sixty MPs participated in the debate.

Four amendments seeking changes in Waqf (Amendment) Bill. One of them excludes tribal land and protected monuments from the ambit of Waqf.

The Bill proposes that only a person practising Islam for five years can donate property to Waqf and government properties cannot be declared Waqf property.

Voting went up to 1.57 am, April 3 ::: Waqf Bill clears Lok Sabha storm With 288 votes in favour and 232 against :::: Waqf properties went many times more since 2013 than it was in previous 100 years

As expected .... it was a fiery debate all along. In a fiery start to the debate post noon, April 2, Wednesday, the NDA and its allies put up a united front, rallying behind the contentious bill. In contrast, the INDIA bloc also seemed determined to oppose the bill, calling it "unconstitutional".

Amid uproar from the Opposition, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tabled the bill in Parliament, announcing it would be renamed the Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) bill.  

A marathon debate of 12 hours, a back and forth of claims and rebuttals between the Centre and the Opposition, and voting on multiple questions - the Lok Sabha saw a huge drama unfold before the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was finally cleared. With 288 votes in favour and 232 against, the bill was passed after a prolonged debate and several deliberations that lasted past midnight, and now faces a test in the Rajya Sabha. 

At times, there were fiery one-liners from Home Minister Amit Shah. To an opposition member contention that the Muslims (minorities) shall not obey or abide by this new law; a visibly furious Home Minister said no one could make such a statement.

"Are you threatening.... This is a central law passed by Parliament and it is binding on all," Shah said.

The Waqf bill was introduced by the government, alleging that the existing Waqf law was altered in 2013 during the Congress-led UPA regime for appeasement politics. The charge was repeated several times by many BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who warned that the Opposition was "spreading misconceptions" over the Waqf bill.

The Waqf bill debate, which was originally allotted eight hours, stretched to over 12 hours in the Lok Sabha. While the Opposition alleged attempts at diluting the Constitution, the BJP hit back with a "fearmongering" charge.  

Following hours of arguments for and against the bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah issued a big clarification on one of the provisions of the bill in the evening. He said that non-Muslims would only be part of the Waqf board and would have no role in religious affairs. 

"First of all, no non-Muslim would come into the Waqf. Understand this clearly...There is no such provision to include any non-Muslim among those who manage the religious institutions; we do not want to do this," Shah clarified. 

Minority Affairs Minister Rijiju said it was necessary to ensure transparency in the running of Waqf boards, and clarified that it would not "snatch" the land or mosques of the Muslim community.

Countering him was Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi with his '4-D' attack, alleging the bill would "dilute the Constitution, defame minority communities, divide Indian society, and disenfranchise minorities". 

Surprisingly, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was not part of the debate. 

One of the biggest points of opposition to the bill by some parties was the provision to include non-Muslim experts. While Kiren Rijiju said that move was aimed at making the board more secular, the Opposition stood against it.

Hours later, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi also vehemently opposed the bill, and even symbolically ‘tore’ it, likening the act to Mahatma Gandhi's defiance of unjust laws. He cited Article 14, which guarantees equal protection under the law. "A Muslim will face restrictions on waqf property, and the encroacher will overnight become the owner," he said.  

Right after Kiren Rijiju's closing remarks on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill ended, the house was open for voting on it.

However, the process was prolonged with voting on several questions, including whether to consider the bill for voting. After multiple rounds of voting on various questions, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was cleared in Lok Sabha at around 1:57 am.

(Triple Talaq Bill, Uniform Civil Code in a few states and even Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. But perhaps Waqf Bill is the most painful shot than all these .... that would hit Sickularism and their politics of Muslim appeasement. It is because it involves 'land grabbing' mechanism. 

The data says it all ---   

"Between 1913 and 2013 there was 18 lakh acre land total across India belonging to Waqf.. between 2013 to 2025, thanks to the 2013 law by the UPA government, the Waqf land went up to 39 lakh acres.... there was an increase in 21 lakh acre," the Home Minister Amit Shah said. 

"When amendments to the Waqf were introduced in 2013, Lalu Prasad Yadav stated that he wanted a strict law and wanted to put those in jail who were stealing. Narendra Modi has fulfilled Lalu Prasad Yadav's wishes." -- Amit Shah 

ends 

ED finds 'details' of Soros funding ::::: George Soros-linked Bengaluru firm under scanner for getting USAID funds of Rs 8 crore

George Soros has been a controversial figure worldwide, accused of using his wealth and claimed to be "philanthropy" to influence political landscapes and regime changes through his Open Society Foundations. 

His foundation has been criticised by multiple governments for allegedly funding activities that disrupt national interests.

In India, Soros’s name has been linked to political and financial controversies, most notably in relation to the Adani Group and for allegedly pushing anti-Hindutva, anti-Modi and anti-BJP narratives.

Investigators have found that SEDF, the social impact investment arm of the Open Society Institute (OSI), provided funds to three Indian companies—Rootbridge Services Pvt Ltd (RSPL), Rootbridge Academy Pvt Ltd (RAPL), and ASAR Social Impact Advisors Pvt Ltd (ASAR)—under the pretext of foreign direct investment (FDI) or consultancy/service fees, reports say. 

The Enforcement Directorate is examining funding from USAID in an investigation involving hedge fund operator George Soros and three Bengaluru-based companies. 

The scrutiny includes ASAR Social Impact Advisors, which received Rs 8 crore from USAID. 

ED aims to understand the motives behind the payments amid concerns over compliance and undesirable activities flagged by the home ministry.

In 2023, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) alleged that the Adani Group used opaque Mauritius-based funds for investments in its own companies. Soros’s Open Society Foundations is known to be a donor to OCCRP, leading to accusations that he had a hand in orchestrating these allegations.

BJP criticised Soros, accusing him of attempting to undermine India’s democratic framework for personal and political gains. 

The Enforcement Directorate has uncovered financial transactions linking billionaire philanthropist George Soros’s Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) to the NGO sector in India, raising concerns over possible violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms. 

These companies received approximately Rs 25 crore between 2020-2021 and 2023-2024, despite OSI being under the scrutiny of the Home Ministry since May 2016 for “undesirable activities.” Since then, OSI has required prior government approval to send funds to FCRA-registered organisations in India. ('India Today') 

According to the ED’s findings, RSPL alone received Rs 18.64 crore from SEDF through Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS), valued at an inflated Rs 2.5-2.6 lakh per share based on the Discounted Cash Flow method. Authorities suspect this was a “colourable arrangement” to bypass FCRA restrictions, as SEDF is barred from directly donating to NGOs in India without Home Ministry approval.

Similarly, RAPL, a company incorporated in 2019 to provide fundraising services for non-profits, received Rs 2.70 crore as “commission agent services” from SEDF. 

However, the ED noted that RAPL had not actually provided any services in return, suggesting it acted as a conduit to circumvent FCRA regulations.  

ASAR, established in 2016 and engaged in public engagement, research, and capacity building for NGOs, received Rs 2.91 crore from SEDF as service fees. The ED has flagged this as another attempt to funnel disguised donations to Indian NGOs under the guise of payments for service exports.

THE MAURITIUS CONNECTION

The ED probe traced OSI-linked investments to Aspada Investment Company (AIC), a Mauritius-based entity that allegedly funnelled funds into India. 

The probe found that Aspada Investment Advisors Pvt Ltd (AIAPL), incorporated in Bengaluru in 2013, managed and advised SEDF’s investments in India, which amounted to over Rs 300 crore across 12 companies.

"Modi Govt already elected for three terms; we will be elected three more terms," asserts Amit Shah :::: HM blasts Opposition, says ... "new Waqf Bill required due to faulty law of 2013 by UPA"

"Between 1913 and 2013 there was 18 lakh acre land total across India belonging to Waqf.. between 2013 to 2025, thanks to the 2013 law by the UPA government, the Waqf land went up to 39 lakh acres.... there was an increase in 21 lakh acre," Home Minister Amit Shah said in Lok Sabha. 

He says, "I stand in support of the Bill introduced by my ministerial colleague. I have been carefully hearing the discussion going on since 12 noon...I feel that there are several misconceptions among several Members, either genuinely or politically. 

"When amendments to the Waqf were introduced in 2013, Lalu Prasad Yadav stated that he wanted a strict law and wanted to put those in jail who were stealing. Narendra Modi has fulfilled Lalu Prasad Yadav's wishes." -- Amit Shah 

Also, through this House, attempts are being made to spread those misconceptions across the country...".

Had there been no distortion on the matter by the UPA in 2013. today there would not have been any necessity to bring this new Bill, Shah said. 

Making intervention during the debate on new Waqf Bill in Lok Sabha, he claimed there were so much discrepancies in the earlier Waqf law that even Lalu Prasad Yadav of RJD had called for overhauling of the system and to bring a new law. 

Lalu Prasad had pointed out that apartments have come up in Waqf land in places like Patna, the Home Minister said. 

"What Lalu ji desired, they (Opposition) did not do. But today Narendra Modi has done it," the Home Minister said.  

He said: "...Waqf Act and Board came into effect in 1995. All the arguments about the inclusion of non-Muslims inclusion are about interference in the Waqf. First of all, no non-Muslim would come into the Waqf. 

Understand this clearly...There is no such provision to include any non-Muslim among those who manage the religious institutions; we do not want to do this...

"This is a huge misconception that this Act will interfere with the religious conduct of Muslims and interfere with the property donated by them. This misconception is being spread to spread fear among minorities for their vote bank."

The new Bill today got endorsement by the JD-U and TDP members as well. 

"The law is for justice ... It is a firm assertion of the BJP and the Modi government, we will bring no law for Vote bank politics," Shah said amid thumping of desks by treasury bench lawmakers. 

"No non-Islamic member will be a part of Waqf. There is neither any provision for the appointment of a non-Muslim to manage the religious institution, nor do we intend to introduce any such provision. 

A rumor is being spread that this Act is aimed at interfering with the religious practices of our Muslim brothers and their donated property. This is being done to instigate the minorities."

 "You (Opposition) would break this country...Through this House, I would like to tell Muslims of the country that not even one non-Muslim would come into your Waqf. This Act has no such provision. 

But what would the Waqf Board and Waqf Council do? To catch the people selling off Waqf properties and drive them out, to catch those who lease off their properties for 100 years in the name of Waqf. 

The income of Waqf is dropping, the income with which we have to do development for minority and push them forward, that money is being stolen. Waqf Board and Council will catch that."

JD-U and TDP back New Bill ::::: Waqf Bill to be renamed UMEED Bill, Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Bill -- signifying 'hope' : Govt

The Govt said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the Waqf Amendment Bill would be renamed UMEED Bill, Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Bill.  

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that Section 40 of the current Waqf Act was being misused by a few for their selfish gains. "That is why Waqf property increased by lakhs," he said. 

According to government data, Waqf boards in India control 8.72 lakh properties, amounting to over 9.4 lakh acres.

There are 30 Waqf Boards across India, according to the official website of the Waqf Asset Management System of India.

Under Section 40 of the Waqf Act, the Waqf boards were empowered to decide if a property was Waqf property. The board's decision was final, unless revoked or modified by the Waqf Tribunal. 

Rijiju was defending the Waqf Amendment Bill after tabling it in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday said the Bill doesn't "snatch" any land from the Muslim community, as it was being touted by some Opposition leaders.

The biggest change that is being brought in with the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is the abolition of Section 40, which allowed the conversion of any land into Waqf property by the boards. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju called it the "most draconian" provision of the Waqf Act during a debate in Parliament on Wednesday.

"The most draconian provision in the Act was Section 40, under which the Waqf Board could declare any land Waqf property. But we have removed that provision," Rijiju said.

JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh says, 

"Since the beginning of the discussion, attempts have been made to create an atmosphere as if the Bill is anti-Muslim…But the Bill is not anti-Muslim at all...Waqf is a sort of Trust which is formed to work in the interest of Muslims. This is not a religious organisation...

The Trust has the right to do justice to all sections of Muslims, but that is not happening...Today, a narrative is being made. PM Modi is being criticised, if you do like him then do not look at him. But appreciate his good work."

Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde said: 

"On behalf of Shiv Sena and my leader Eknath Shinde, I completely support this Bill. This is a historic and important day...First Article 370, then Triple Talaq and CAA, and now this Bill has been brought to this House for the welfare of the poor...I was pained upon hearing his (UBT's Arvind Sawant) speech. 

"It was very shocking. I would like to ask UBT a question, they should ask their conscience whether they would have spoken the same had Balasaheb (Thackeray) been alive today. It is clear today whose ideology UBT is adopting today and opposing this Bill. 

"They had a golden opportunity to rectify their mistakes, rewrite their history and keep their ideology alive...But UBT bulldozed their ideology beforehand...Had Balasaheb been here today and read UBT's dissent note, he would have been pained...".

TDP MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti speaks in support of the Bill and says, 

"The TDP's role in shaping this Bill shows our commitment to Muslim and minority welfare. Ensuring the welfare of minorities has always been the top priority since the formation of our party...". 

End of 'Bihar-speculation' ... Bill is not anti-Muslim at all, says JD-U ::::::::: Akhilesh Yadav says Waqf Bill brought to hide 'failure' :::: Modi Govt trying to "defame (and) disenfranchise minorities": Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, that was tabled in the Lok Sabha, seeks to scrap Section 40 of the Waqf Act. The Section allows the waqf boards and the Tribunal to declare any land as Waqf property. 

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju called it the "most draconian" provision, alleging it was misused for mass land conversions. The new Bill allows these decisions to be challenged in courts.

He said the Waqf Amendment Bill would be renamed UMEED Bill, Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Bill.

JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh says, 

"Since the beginning of the discussion, attempts have been made to create an atmosphere as if the Bill is anti-Muslim…But the Bill is not anti-Muslim at all...Waqf is a sort of Trust which is formed to work in the interest of Muslims. This is not a religious organisation...

The Trust has the right to do justice to all sections of Muslims, but that is not happening...Today, a narrative is being made. PM Modi is being criticised, if you do like him then do not look at him. But appreciate his good work."

Akhilesh Yadav Waqf Bill brought to hide government's failure 

"Dilute, Defame, Divide, Disenfranchise": Congress' '4D' Attack On Waqf Bill

Gaurav Gogoi said:

"What message do you (government) want to give? The community that fought for India's independence, the community that sacrificed its life along with Mangal Pandey in 1857, you want to tarnish the image of that community. 

.....that community supported the Quit India Movement...

You want to tarnish the image of the community which completely rejected Jinnah's two-nation theory in 1924. This is your divide and rule. Nationalism for us is being united...". 

"Did the Minority Affairs Ministry make this bill, or did some other department make it? Where did this Bill come from?... Today, the condition of minorities in the country has become such that today, the government will have to give a certificate of their religion...," said Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress lawmaker from Assam.

"Will they ask for a certificate from other religions whether you have completed five years or not? Why is this being asked in this bill? Why is the government interfering in this matter of religion...?"

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi launched a fierce counterattack Wednesday - after Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tabled the Waqf Amendment Bill - accusing the BJP-led government of trying to "defame (and) disenfranchise minorities" and staging an "4D assault on the Constitution".

Gogoi also questioned the government over a contentious provision - that donations can only be made by a Muslim who has been practicing his/her faith for at least five years. It is a sad situation, the Congress leader said, when the government takes it on itself to issue 'religious certificates'.

"Today the condition of minorities has become such the government will give a 'certificate 'of their religion. Will they ask for certificates from other religions also... whether they have completed five years? Why is this being asked of Muslims? Why is the government interfering in religion?"

In his lengthy rebuttal to Mr Rijiju, the Assam leader began by accusing the Union Minister of making misleading statements, which earned him a reprimand from Speaker Om Birla.

"This bill is an assault on the Constitution..." he began, firing a '4D' attack at the BJP. "The aim is to dilute the Constitution, defame and disenfranchise minorities... divide Indian society."

Gogoi also pointed out the Minority Affairs Ministry did not mention this bill in four meetings of its parliamentary committee in 2023, a year before the amendments were suddenly tabled.

The heated debate on the Waqf bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday saw light-hearted banter between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the selection of the next BJP president. 

Akhilesh veered off-topic to assert that the "biggest political party" was yet to elect its own president.

"A party that claims to be the biggest political party in the world has still not been able to elect its own national president," Akhilesh Yadav said with a wry smile on his face. 

The Home Minister quipped that the process in the BJP was unlike other parties, where presidents were selected from family members. 

"Akhilesh ji made his remark with a smile, so I will respond in the same manner. The parties sitting across from us in this House all have national presidents who are selected from just five family members. 

But in our party, we have to conduct a process involving 12-13 crore members, so naturally, it takes time," Amit Shah said.

"If the Waqf property is managed properly desh ka taqdeer badal jae ga"  

#NorthEast brigade dominates #LokSabha proceedings on #WaqfBill. #BJP fields @KirenRijiju. #GauravGogoi represents #Opposition #Congress 

Cash-rich Waqf Board will be used for poor Muslims, Kiren Rijiju tells Parliament

"...This provision is being made in the government that when you create Waqf property, it should not happen that you go to a tribal area and create Waqf on tribal land. 

Therefore, keeping in mind the protection of the tribals of our country, you cannot create Waqf property in Schedule 5 and Schedule 6...". - Kiren Rijiju

"...When our country has the largest Waqf property in the world, why hasn't it been used for the education, medical treatment, skill development, and income generation of poor Muslims? 

Why has no progress been made in this regard so far?...If this government, under the leadership of PM Modi, is working for the betterment of poor Muslims, then why is there an objection?..."

"Now Shia, Sunni, Bohra, backward Muslims, women, and expert Non-Muslims will also be there in Waqf Board. Let me elaborate in detail. I'll give my own example. Suppose I am not a Muslim but I am Minority Affairs Minister. 

Then I become Chairman of the Central Waqf Council. Despite my position, there can be a maximum of 4 Non-Muslim members in the Council, and among them, 2 women members are compulsory..."

"Aapko nahi malum ... Musalmano kaisey bhayankar support kar rahen haen is Bill ko lekar

(You do not know how Muslim community people are supporting this Bill" )  

Even Parliament building could have been claimed as Waqf: Kiren Rijiju slams UPA

Rijiju said: "...About the work done in 2012-2013, I want to mention that the elections were approaching and the Model Code of Conduct was about to be imposed. The elections happened in April-May 2014. 

On 5th March 2014, the UPA government transferred 123 prime properties under the Housing and Urban Development Ministry to the Delhi Waqf Board. 

What was the need? Only a few days were left before elections. 

Couldn’t you have waited? 

Blogger 

"You don't know how Muslims are supporting this Bill" ::: Trigger to bring the new Waqf Bill was set in 2013 when discriminatory provisions were put in : Minority and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju

"If the Waqf property is managed properly desh ka taqdeer badal jae ga"  

#NorthEast brigade dominates #LokSabha proceedings on #WaqfBill. #BJP fields @KirenRijiju. #GauravGogoi represents #Opposition #Congress 

Cash-rich Waqf Board will be used for poor Muslims, Kiren Rijiju tells Parliament

"...This provision is being made in the government that when you create Waqf property, it should not happen that you go to a tribal area and create Waqf on tribal land. 

Therefore, keeping in mind the protection of the tribals of our country, you cannot create Waqf property in Schedule 5 and Schedule 6...". - Kiren Rijiju

"...When our country has the largest Waqf property in the world, why hasn't it been used for the education, medical treatment, skill development, and income generation of poor Muslims? 

Why has no progress been made in this regard so far?...If this government, under the leadership of PM Modi, is working for the betterment of poor Muslims, then why is there an objection?..."

"Now Shia, Sunni, Bohra, backward Muslims, women, and expert Non-Muslims will also be there in Waqf Board. Let me elaborate in detail. I'll give my own example. Suppose I am not a Muslim but I am Minority Affairs Minister. 

Then I become Chairman of the Central Waqf Council. Despite my position, there can be a maximum of 4 Non-Muslim members in the Council, and among them, 2 women members are compulsory..."

"Aapko nahi malum ... Musalmano kaisey bhayankar support kar rahen haen is Bill ko lekar

(You do not know how Muslim community people are supporting this Bill" )  

Even Parliament building could have been claimed as Waqf: Kiren Rijiju slams UPA

Rijiju said: "...About the work done in 2012-2013, I want to mention that the elections were approaching and the Model Code of Conduct was about to be imposed. The elections happened in April-May 2014. 

On 5th March 2014, the UPA government transferred 123 prime properties under the Housing and Urban Development Ministry to the Delhi Waqf Board. 

What was the need? Only a few days were left before elections. 

Couldn’t you have waited? You thought this would help you win the elections but you lost the election anyway, so what was the gain? 

Such actions don't win votes"

"Poor Muslims are giving repeated message Jaldi paas kijiye (Pls pass the Bill) at the earliest". 

Kiren Rijuju -- 

"The trigger to bring the Waqf Bill by the Modi government was set in 2013 when the erstwhile UPA introduced discriminatory provisions in the 1995 Act." 

Ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah among others present in the House. 

Kiren Rijiju says "...Kisi ki baat koi bad-guma na samjhega. Zameen ka dard kabhi aasamaan nahi samjhega...I not only hope, but I am sure that those who oppose this bill will also have a change in their hearts. Everyone will support this bill with a positive attitude...".

 

"The new Bill has nothing to do with Govt interfering into religious matters of any community....It deals only with management of properties," the Minister said.  The UPA Govt gave away 123 properties of Delhi which came under Urban Development ministry were given away to the Delhi Waqf Board. 

The Lok Sabha commenced the much awaited debate and voting process on the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill today, with the government resolute in pushing it forward while the Opposition stands united in denouncing it as unconstitutional. 

The bill is expected to be debated in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with both Houses allotted eight hours each for deliberations. 

Key NDA allies — Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), and LJP (Ram Vilas) — have issued whips directing their MPs to back the government's position. 

Meanwhile, the opposition INDIA bloc showcased a united front on Wednesday, strategising its collective resistance to the bill in a meeting held at Parliament House.  

Kiren Rijiju also said: "A case ongoing since 1970 in Delhi involved several properties, including the CGO Complex and the Parliament building. The Delhi Waqf Board had claimed these as Waqf properties. 

The case was in court, but at that time, the UPA government denotified 123 properties and handed them over to the Waqf Board. If we had not introduced this amendment today, even the Parliament building we are sitting in could have been claimed as Waqf property. 

If PM Modi Govt did not come into power, several properties would have been de-notified..."

Kiren Rijiju said:

"In 2013, right before Lok Sabha elections in 2014, there were some steps taken which will raise questions in your mind. In 2013, the act was changed to allow Sikhs, Hindus, Parsis and others to create Waqf. Everyone knows Waqf is for Muslims to create Waqf in the name of Allah. 

This change was made by Congress in 2013. Congress made the boards specifics, only Shias in Shia boards...A section was added that Waqf will have an overriding effect over every other law. How can this section be acceptable?..."

 "After supporting the bill, you all come my office after one year... I will let you know about the transformational impact (of the bill).  We have incorporated and accepted several recommendations of the JPC in the Waqf (Amendment) Bill... to say that JPC's recommendations were not taken is wrong," Minority Affairs Minister. 

"Today, the total Waqf property has increased from 4.9 lakh to 8.72 lakh in our country. If these 8.72 lakh Waqf properties were managed properly, it would not only improved the lives of Muslims but also transform the destiny of the entire country..."